Stocking fastener



Nov. 22, 1966 J. J. ERTESZEK STOCKING FASTENER Filed March 17, 1965 10 (.10- ljerfszew United States Patent 3,286,318 STOCKING FASTENER Jan J. Erteszek, 631 Bonhill Road, Los Angeles, Calif. Filed Mar. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 440,568 1 Claim. (Cl. 24243) This invention has to do with improvements in garter grips or stocking fasteners, and has for its general object to provide novel fastener configurations achieving the desirable results of greater flatness in form and therefore greater concealability, as well as ease in use and the ability to securely hold and retain an attached stocking.

My general object is to provide such fasteners in essentially flat and thin form which in use may be supported below or inside a garment, such as a girdle, to present no observable bulge :as frequently occurs with conventional garter grips.

Structurally the invention contemplates formation of the fastener as an essentially flat body having an inner open area occupied by a row of upwardly directed teeth adapted to be thrust through the stocking fabric. Retention of the stocking is assured by providing means as a part of, or in association with the body, which normally directly overlies the top of the teeth so as to prevent withdrawal of the stocking fabric as well as to preclude any undesirable contact of the teeth terminals with the clothes or body of the wearer.

As will appear, the fastener may be so formed as to be planar, i.e. with the body teeth and associated portions essentially flatly conformed, and provision is made to expose the teeth for reception or release of the stocking fabric, by relative movement of the teeth and body, either by positive deflection or movement of a web portion of the body overlying the teeth, or by deflection of the teeth relative to such portion.

Particularly contemplated is formation of a keeper and guard web, which in relation to the teeth may be regarded as part of the body, which is shiftable vertically to and from not only direct overlying association with the teeth but a posiiton at which the web contains the teeth.

All the features and objects of the invention, as well as the details of certain illustrative embodiments, will be understood more fully from the following description of the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view showing in elevation one embodiment of the invention carried typically by a garter strap;

FIG. 2 is a cross section on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the body web deflected from overlying relation to the teeth;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a variational form of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross section on line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating deflection of the teeth;

FIG. 7 illustrates a further variational form of the invention; and

FIG. 8 is a cross section on line 88 of FIG. 7.

Referring first to 'FIG. 1, the fastener generally indicated at 10 is shown to comprise an essentially flat, relatively thin body or frame 11 which may be made as a die stamping from metallic or plastic sheet stock having suflicient rigidity for maintenance of the illustrated shape and form of the teeth 12 as well as the outer portions of the body 11, but possessing suflicient flexibility to permit deflection of the web 13. The body 10 may have any suitable means for attachment to a garter strap 14, or directly to the inside of a garment such as the leg portion 15 of a girdle. Such means preferably comprises a slot 16 in the top of the body through which the strap 14 is doubled or through which the fastener body may be sewed directly to the garment 15.

3,286,318 Patented Nov. 22, 1966 The body is shown to have an internal open area 17 within, which is contained a row of upwardly projecting teeth formed integrally with the body and positioned in the body plane. The teeth are provided in sufficient number to securely retain the stocking fabric through which they are thrust while being sufficiently small transversely or in diameter as not to unduly disturb the stocking fabric. The terminals of the teeth are pointed to a degree permitting of ready insertion through the stocking fabric, while lacking sharpness injurious to the user.

The upper portion of the area 17 is occupied by the flap or web 13- having clearances at 18 from the body so that the web is deflectable by finger pressure away from its normal position in which the bottom edge 19 of the web directly overlies the teeth 12 to a degree closely approaching contact with the terminals of the teeth.

For application of a stocking 20 to the fastener, see FIG. 3, the web 13 is deflected away from alinement with the teeth 12, thus permitting the stocking fabric to be thrust down between the teeth as illustrated. Upon release, the web by virtue of its resiliency restores to the FIG. 2 direct overlying relation tothe teeth, thus to lock the stocking against withdrawal and present a barrier to contact of the teeth terminals by the clothes or body of the wearer.

FIGS. 4 to 6 illustrate a variational form of the invention in which the body 21, as before, has a top attachment opening 22 and an apertured or open area 23 occupied by the teeth 24 which in this instance are formed in a web 25 deflectable as shown in FIG. 6- so that the teeth themselves become deflectable relative to the body for exposure to be thrust through the stocking 26. The web 25 thus in effect hinges along its lower extent. Deflection and such hinging of the Web and teeth may be facilitated by scoring at 27 the web juncture with the body.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a further variational form of the invention characterized by the employment of a bodily shiftable web, which also may be regarded as a portion of the fastener body, which serves not only to releasably overlie the teeth of the fastener, but to serve as a guard capable of overlapping and containing the teeth.

Here the body 30 of the fastener has an open frame configuration including side extents 31 defining an open internal area containing teeth 32 projecting upwardly from the bottom of the body and in essentially the same plane. The web 33 has a closed upper end 34 and contains openings at 36 to receive the sides 31 of the body, the web serving as both a retainer for fabric through which the teeth may be thrust and as a guard shiftable from the FIG. 7 elevated position (allowing for insertion of the fabric over the teeth), to a dropped position indicated by the broken lines at 33a, in which the web contains and locks the fabric in the fastener while guarding against bodily contact with the teeth. The fastener is attachable to a strap or garment by sewing through the open top of the body above the web.

I claim:

A stocking fastener comprising an internally apertured essentially planar body adapted to be generally vertically positioned in use, a row of teeth carried by a lower portion of the body and projecting upwardly within the apertured area of the body to free ends insertable through a fabric, .and means directly overlying said ends of the teeth and operable to releasably retain the fabric against removal therefrom, said retaining means comprising a web in overlying relation to the teeth, said web and teeth being relatively movable from said relation to free References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Moore.

Freese 2-309 Gruen.

4 FOREIGN PATENTS 2/1949 France. it

OTHER REFERENCES Schickendanz, German printed application, V 6,698, January, 1956.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

4/1964 Schwabe et a1. 24246 10 D. GRIFFIN, Assistant Examiner. 

